A 40-year-old man was arrested in Malaysia on Monday (Mar 7), pursuant to a warrant of arrest issued by the State Courts, for his suspected involvement in a case of counterfeit casino chips more than four years ago.

In a news release on Tuesday, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that the Malaysian is the fifth suspect involved in the case. It said that with strong co-operation and assistance from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), he was subsequently handed over to SPF on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the police, in August 2011, officers from the Casino Crime Investigation Branch (CCIB) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) commenced investigations into a syndicated case of suspected counterfeit casino chips used at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS).

Following investigations, a total of four suspects were arrested and they had been prosecuted in court, police added.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigations & Intelligence) concurrent Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, Tan Chye Hee, expressed his appreciation to the RMP for their assistance in the arrest.

He said: “The arrest of the suspect would not have been possible without the close collaboration and strong relationship between the SPF and RMP. The SPF will spare no efforts to hunt down criminals who commit crimes in Singapore and flee our borders thereafter. We will work with our foreign law enforcement partners to bring these fugitives to justice, no matter how long it takes."

The suspect will be charged in court on Wednesday for the offence of using counterfeit casino chips. If convicted, he is liable to a jail term of up to seven years or fine not exceeding S$150,000, or to both.